Farewell to a dear friend

Since before Betty and I were married, we have come to this beautiful little house to visit her parents.  We have many wonderful memories associated with the house, with the people who live here and with the magnificent landscape.

One summer, Popo had an ongoing battle going with the racoons trying to raid the bird feeder outside the kitchen window.  He wrapped the pole with an innertube dressed with sharp nails.  The critters just used Popo's invention as a ladder.  He tried a number of things that did not work, but he finally succeeded when he put an inverted cone of sheet metal with sharp cuts along the edge.  That worked. 
 

Popo decided that he could no longer live here alone. Reluctantly, he made arrangements to sell his little home in the canon and come live with Betty and I.  The buyer has graciously invited us to come up from time to time and see the changes that are being made.
 
It has been exciting to see the house updated and fixed up, but it has been really hard on Popo.  The familiar little home that he as lived in for the last forty eight years has lost it's familiarity.  It has hurt him to lose the little nooks and crannies that have been home to him.

The house is now ready to be rented and today we took a final tour. 

Many years ago, a relative covered the old stone fireplace with a paneling facade.  The facade was neither plumb nor square, nor was the gas fireplace.  It was installed without an effort to make it square since the facade was so crooked.  The fireplace is now level and it has a new face.  Slate tiles that form a nice square fireplace and hearth adorn the living room.

Popo was proud of the old gold carpet that had been installed forty years earlier.  The floor is now laminate and is beautiful.  The window coverings have been brought up to date.

The kitchen had kitchen carpeting.  It was beginning to break down and was hard to keep clean.  The kitchen now has a new tile flashing and new tile floors.

The kitchen stove was added when Grace was alive, but the oven never worked correctly.  The stove now works correctly and is ready for someone to make some Christmas cookies.

The master bedroom has had some changes.  The floor of the master bedroom is the original floor, but has been finished.

The windows in this room were tiny and cold.  They have been replaced with modern windows that make the room warmer.

This is probably the two rooms that have seen the most change.  The logs in this room were the original cabin.  On one side was Grace's utility room and the dryer.  Both the washer and the dryer are now in the bathroom.  The supports in this new room are aspens that the buyer worked into supports.  I like the change in this room.


Although I like the changes that have been made to Popo's old home, I can understand the pain that he feels.  It's not his any more and we cannot go back to visit.  I suppose that's the way life is.  Changes happen and we can never go back.   We have to look forward toward tomorrow.